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Dr T quoted on Professor T
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William Hyde
Aug 20, 2021, 4:52:24 PM8/20/21
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PBS has been showing the Belgian mystery/drama series "Professor T" (in Dutch/Flemish with English subtitles). Not to be confused with the English "Professor T" series which, sadly, is not in English with Dutch subtitles.
In a recent episode, featuring a bit of chess, Professor T commented about a crime "The winner is the one who makes the next-to-the-last blunder", an aphorism attributed to Dr Saveilly (or Xavier) Tartakower.
Of course, Dr T was talking about the kind of opponents he played.
I've kibitzed games where the loser makes the last blunder, and the second
last, and the third last ...
William Hyde
In a recent episode, featuring a bit of chess, Professor T commented about a crime "The winner is the one who makes the next-to-the-last blunder", an aphorism attributed to Dr Saveilly (or Xavier) Tartakower.
Of course, Dr T was talking about the kind of opponents he played.
I've kibitzed games where the loser makes the last blunder, and the second
last, and the third last ...
William Hyde
Eli Kesef
Aug 22, 2021, 8:21:25 AM8/22/21
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Is overlooking a mate in one a blunder? Must be, right? Got one right here, played 16 hours ago: https://lichess.org/wQio6w7yIR17
The missed mated is on move 28, horse h3 would have been mate. I got him anyway 6 moves later, but, well, what can I say. My play is blunderful. That's just the way it is.
http://tiny.cc/last-blunder
Quadibloc
Sep 14, 2021, 3:16:32 PM9/14/21
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On Friday, August 20, 2021 at 2:52:24 PM UTC-6, William Hyde wrote:
> In a recent episode, featuring a bit of chess, Professor T commented about a
> crime "The winner is the one who makes the next-to-the-last blunder", an
> aphorism attributed to Dr Saveilly (or Xavier) Tartakower.
> Of course, Dr T was talking about the kind of opponents he played.
> I've kibitzed games where the loser makes the last blunder, and the second
> last, and the third last ...
You correctly highlight the reason why Tartakower had not quite phrased
> In a recent episode, featuring a bit of chess, Professor T commented about a
> crime "The winner is the one who makes the next-to-the-last blunder", an
> aphorism attributed to Dr Saveilly (or Xavier) Tartakower.
> Of course, Dr T was talking about the kind of opponents he played.
> I've kibitzed games where the loser makes the last blunder, and the second
> last, and the third last ...
his statement in a precisely correct manner.
But is it hard to say what he really meant in a catchy way?
Or has this truth been expressed accurately elsewhere in other contexts?
Hmm...
"The only blunder that matters in a chess game is the last one."
That would do it. Perhaps something like this was once said about war or
football... somehow I have a vague memory...
John Savard
William Hyde
Sep 14, 2021, 6:30:14 PM9/14/21
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On Tuesday, September 14, 2021 at 3:16:32 PM UTC-4, Quadibloc wrote:
> On Friday, August 20, 2021 at 2:52:24 PM UTC-6, William Hyde wrote:
>
> > In a recent episode, featuring a bit of chess, Professor T commented about a
> > crime "The winner is the one who makes the next-to-the-last blunder", an
> > aphorism attributed to Dr Saveilly (or Xavier) Tartakower.
>
> > Of course, Dr T was talking about the kind of opponents he played.
>
> > I've kibitzed games where the loser makes the last blunder, and the second
> > last, and the third last ...
> You correctly highlight the reason why Tartakower had not quite phrased
> his statement in a precisely correct manner.
>
> But is it hard to say what he really meant in a catchy way?
Dr T was no snob, but I can imagine him looking at some of my games and saying "That's not what I meant by chess".
> On Friday, August 20, 2021 at 2:52:24 PM UTC-6, William Hyde wrote:
>
> > In a recent episode, featuring a bit of chess, Professor T commented about a
> > crime "The winner is the one who makes the next-to-the-last blunder", an
> > aphorism attributed to Dr Saveilly (or Xavier) Tartakower.
>
> > Of course, Dr T was talking about the kind of opponents he played.
>
> > I've kibitzed games where the loser makes the last blunder, and the second
> > last, and the third last ...
> You correctly highlight the reason why Tartakower had not quite phrased
> his statement in a precisely correct manner.
>
> But is it hard to say what he really meant in a catchy way?
For example, even at tournament time controls, some of my opponents will drop a piece, which should be the last blunder, but will play on and drop another piece. And so on. In Dr T's world nobody plays on an uncompensated piece down.
Mind you, if a time machine moves me to the 1920s, I play Dr T and he somehow loses an uncompensated piece, he would be wise not to resign. But we have yet to test this, as no IM or GM has ever dropped a piece against me, and the time machine shortage continues.
William Hyde
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